


Pacing

by VelvetSky



Series: Through the Years [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Day trip at the coast, F/M, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Quaint town, Steve Rogers's Motorcycle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-14 10:48:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14134509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VelvetSky/pseuds/VelvetSky
Summary: Steve and Darcy take a day trip together on Steve’s motorcycle.A/N: This story is set just a week or so after Chapter 1 (Ice Cream) of Happy Birthdays. Part of the Through the Years Series.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GlynnisIsta8](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlynnisIsta8/gifts).



> For my Blogversary fics. This one is for @glynnisi. I hope you like it! :)
> 
> The prompt: Hey, again! Sorry. I missed the 500-1000 words thing. Let me try again… ShieldShock- how about… mutually pining, OTP-to-be Steve/Darcy- Steve takes Darcy for a ride on his motorcycle
> 
> A/N: Considering the notion was this would be a shorter story, this story got CRAZY LONG! LOL So long that I am going to be posting it in chapters (9 chapters to be exact) because as a whole this piece is a bit over 20,000 words. I do not know what I did. Sorry, but not sorry. Hopefully it’s good though, and not a mess.
> 
> A/N 2: This story is set in my “Through the Years” series/verse. This story happens about a week after Chapter 1 - “Ice Cream” of the story “Happy Birthdays”.

Steve and Darcy had such a nice time, unexpectedly spending Darcy’s birthday together, they decided to hang out again. Steve had definitely made her birthday a nice one. After ice cream, they had talked a bit, getting into a discussion about books, before sitting down and watching an old movie and having some popcorn. They’d capped off the evening with dinner, a simple pasta dinner she made, and he helped, saying he wanted to learn to cook better. They had talked a while longer before they each headed home. It was a little over a week later, things at the Tower had been mellow, so when the weekend rolled around, they were both free. Darcy had spent the last week hoping everything would stay calm on the Avengers front so they could hang out again.

While they didn’t see much of each other over the week, they did begin texting each other, debating ideas for what to do, finally arriving at taking a ride out to Long Island on Steve’s motorcycle. The weekend was looking to be a hot one, and probably busy at the most popular spots, being the end of summer. So, they found what looked like a slightly less traveled spot along Long Island Sound.

Darcy was ready to go when Steve buzzed the door of her building, and she hurried down to the street. She’d chosen capri pant jeans, a tank top, with a light hoodie over, with her converse sneakers. Steve appeared dressed similarly to when they hung out last time in the Tower, khaki pants, a light flannel shirt, that appeared to have a tee shirt underneath, and brown laced boots that appeared to be a lightweight design. The most different thing was he had on sunglasses. Darcy had remembered her sunglasses, and packed extra sunscreen and a few other things in a small bag she had slung across her body. He was standing right at her building’s door, and smiled when she appeared.

“Morning, Darcy. You look nice.” Her building didn’t have a stoop so much as a couple of small steps and a small landing. Still, Steve held out a hand for her to help her down, which Darcy readily accepted. Definitely something she didn’t see most guys these days do.

“Morning, thank you. You look nice too.” When she smiled and returned the compliment, she thought she saw a faint blush.

“Thanks. The untucked doesn’t look too messy, does it? I’m trying to get with the times. I still need to try getting a pair of jeans.” Steve knew he blushed a little, but he’d stopped worrying too much about that after they shared that ice cream sundae last week. He didn’t exactly know what was between them, but it felt nice. He knew he liked her, but wasn’t sure to what degree she liked him. Steve hadn’t exactly sorted out how to properly deal with women in his own time, and he’d seen enough in a few months to know the rules had changed since he went in the ice, so he was even more unsure about what things meant. He’d come across men and women who seemed very affectionate with one another, but said they were simply friends. And noticed in general that people seemed more open about public displays of affection. Darcy had been mildly affectionate seeming with him, but he didn’t know if that was just her common behavior with people she was comfortable with, or if the arm touches, and warm smiles, and sharing ice cream meant anything more than just being friendly.

“Not messy at all. It’s common not to tuck the shirt in. And jeans are great, but khakis are completely normal attire too.” She ran a soft hand down his bicep, warm eyes and smile trained on him.

Steve’s whole arm tingled from the touch, and he wondered if that was what the whole ride would feel like, with her sitting behind him on the motorcycle. He hadn’t even thought about that, the closeness. He just thought taking her for a ride would be fun. “I have a helmet for you.”

“Oh, good.” Darcy hadn’t thought much about the helmet or how it would fit with her hair pulled up in a loose, messy loop. Steve handed her the helmet and she got it on without having to adjust her hair, and it felt comfortable still. When she then fiddled with the strap that went under her chin, Steve’s hands moved like he could help, so she put her hands down and chin out.

Steve smiled when she caught the motion he’d been too nervous to put words to, and he stepped a little closer to secure the helmet on her. The back of his fingers grazing lightly against her jaw and neck. Her skin was warm and soft, and if it was possible, it felt like the smile in her eyes got warmer. At least he felt warmer. “There you go.”

“Thanks.” Darcy watched him toss on a helmet and settle into his seat. “Now, I haven’t done this before. What should I know?”

Steve smiled a little more crooked, “Well, when we’re riding, hang on, lean with me, with the turns. That maybe makes some people nervous, but that’s the way. Don’t wiggle around too much. If you need to shift, stop lights are best, but also just let me know, I can always pull over.”

She giggled a little, “okay, sounds good. And best way to get on?”

There was a slight momentary chuckle from Steve, “right. Peg’s here, same on the other side, for your feet. Get on from this side, and same when you get off. And just grab my shoulders, or whatever you need to climb on. And then hold onto my waist to ride, if you want to put one hand against the tank for bracing, you can.”

Darcy nodded and stepped in, one hand on his shoulder, the other on the seat, and used the peg to get on. She shifted a little. “Should I just kind of meld into your back?”

He chuckled again, and felt the flush flood his body, as she settled in behind him. “That would probably work well. Then you just move with me during the ride.”

While Darcy seemed less shy about plastering herself to his back, and holding on, she certainly felt herself warm at being so close to him. She had been slightly nervous about the ride, but she was already enjoying it so much, she was forgetting her nerves, at least about the actual ride. Her nerves now, were just about not being blatantly obvious at how much she liked him. Her arms wrapped around his body, and her face almost nuzzled the back of his neck and shoulders, while her legs bracketed his hips. “Is this okay? I don’t want to throw off your driving by bumping you or anything.”

Steve had to take a few deep breaths as she got comfortable, and focus his mind back on riding, because feeling her body against his felt far too good. “Yeah, as long as you don’t wiggle around, or lean the opposite way. I should be able to hear you if you speak loud enough, since you’re right near my ear, and I have better than normal hearing. I’ll check on you at stops though, make sure you’re alright, comfortable. And let me know if you aren’t comfortable, okay?”

“Okay. I’m comfortable right now, anyway.” She couldn’t help the smile, but she didn’t know if he could see that.

He couldn’t quite see it, but he somehow felt her smile, and he definitely felt her arms wrapped around him. Steve hadn’t been held this much, for this long since he was a kid, by his mother, and it felt good on a level that he’d never felt before. But he tried not to dwell, shifting the bike to go, “ Ready?”

“Ready.” Darcy held on nice and snug, but not tense tight, she actually was feeling surprisingly relaxed as the bike started moving. With the back seat slightly raised, she had a decent view over Steve’s shoulder, while her whole body pressed into his back.

Steve got off the main highway as soon as possible after they crossed the Throgs Neck Bridge into Queens, and onto Northern Boulevard, and headed out Long Island. They weren’t going all the way out, just an hour or so outside the city, but the feel of the area got significantly less hectic once they left Queens. Trees started to line the road, and it started to look like small communities, and not the big city. He was a city boy, but he did enjoy getting out and feeling like he had a little more space to breathe.

The scenery definitely got prettier, not that Darcy disliked the city. She had grown up in a city, but she appreciated some fresh air and trees. The other thing she was appreciating was being practically wrapped around Steve. Any bite from the air whipping by was soothed by that fact. The day looked to be a very warm one, but it was still morning, and the air still had a cool feel, especially as they rode along.

He did keep checking on her, every time they hit a stop light, he’d glance over his shoulder at her, and she’d give his body a little squeeze. She didn’t have to adjust too much, she just remained pressed into his back. As they got into the more open road part of the ride, he’d occasionally pull one hand from the handle for a moment to touch her hands, and her fingers would gently press into his abdomen or chest and wiggle back, lightly, at his fingers when he touched hers. He chuckled a little the first time she did that, but it was what made him keep doing it throughout the ride. When they finally hit another red light, instead of touching her hands, Steve shifted a little to look at her, his hand resting on her knee, without even thinking about what he was doing. He was just feeling comfortable with her. Being so close to her felt natural, her hands on him, he put his hand on her. Before he could second guess his own move, Darcy smiled at him so bright, he knew it was a move she didn’t mind.

“Comfortable? Feeling good? Having fun?” Steve knew he was smiling stupidly huge at her, but he had no way of dialing that back at the moment.

“Yes!” Darcy liked how big his smile was. She knew enough from Tower conversation, that a smile that big was rare on Steve Roger’s face, at least to most people. He gave her knee a squeeze before turning back to focus on the road just before the light turned green, and she pressed herself as close as she could to his back.

It wasn’t too long before Darcy started to see water, and Steve pulled to a stop in a parking spot along the Main Street of a small little community. It was so cute and picturesque, the sort of place Darcy only saw on TV and movies, and wasn’t always sure really existed.

Steve shifted, resting his hand on her knee again, and the smile came with it. “I was thinking, if you want, if you’re hungry, we could stop and eat. I noticed when I was looking online, there’s a place a few doors down from here that looked good.”

“Oh, that sounds good. I only had a light breakfast early this morning when I got up.” If the place to eat was even half as quaint as the Main Street, it was probably delicious.

“I still have some sandwiches and such also, if we want something later. But a real meal sounds good to me right now.” Steve was possibly relishing, just a bit, the fact that Darcy had not loosened her hold on his body, just yet. Her arms were still snug around him, and her chest was still pressed into his back. It actually took every bit of good sense he had, and the fact that the helmets might make it harder, not to lean in and kiss her. Fortunately, he thought, he still had some feeling of nerves about that sort of move.

“Sounds good to me too. This little town is something else. Like right out of a movie or something.” Her gaze shifted off him, for just a moment, to look around as she giggled, before landing back on him.

Steve chuckled softly with her, though his gaze remained stuck on her as she looked around, smiling a little more once her eyes returned to his. When her arms tried to wrap a little snugger around him and he felt her squeeze him, Steve inhaled long and deep, eyelids fluttering, and on his exhale, he felt her hand rub up and down the middle of his chest. His hands held to her forearms, enjoying the whole feeling of her, maybe too much. He didn’t want to move, he just wanted to sit there feeling her hold him. His reply to her comment came slow, and soft. “It is.”

There were so many reasons for the smile that was spread all across Darcy’s face, the town, the thought of a nice meal, the rest of the day ahead, but a majority of it was Steve. They were spending the whole day together, and the way he seemed to respond, feeling like he relaxed a little for a moment when she tried to squeeze him, it made her insides dance. “I suppose we’ll have to get off the bike to go eat.”

Steve let out a long breath, his hands rubbing lightly on her arms, glad she took her time in pulling her arms from him. He let his fingers trail along as she did. “I suppose so.” He stayed still so she could use his shoulders to hold onto as she climbed off the bike. Once she was, he got off as well, pulling off his helmet. She was handing him hers as soon as he had his off, so while she fixed her hair a bit, he secured the helmets with the bike.


	2. Chapter 2

Darcy took Steve’s arm, curling her hand around the crook of his elbow, and he smiled at her. Their pace down the street, past a few buildings to the place, was a slow and quiet. She felt as if they were breathing together as they walked. A steady inhale and exhale of the salty air. It wasn’t quite a restaurant in the pure sense, but it seemed more than a cafe. It was nice, casual, and it smelled tasty, just walking inside. They found a seat by the windows and took a look at the menu.

“This place seems cool, and I already think I’m going to have trouble deciding what to get, because lots of things look good.” Darcy laughed a bit, but it was always an issue for her when she ate out, especially when breakfast food was involved. Sometimes she wished places would offer a combo plate, pancakes and French Toast, maybe waffles too.

“We could always order a few things and share.” Seeing as they’d shared an ice cream sundae the first time they really spent time together, and only the second time they’d even met, it seemed a perfectly viable option, plus Steve knew he could have probably eaten four or five of these dishes himself and not been too full. His metabolism was crazy. Of course, he could also manage to function all day at peak performance on just a piece of toast if need be, though it wasn’t ideal, and best not to do that all the time.

“Oh, that sounds good. Then we can sample a few things.” Darcy hadn’t even considered how much food Steve might need, or be able, to eat regularly because of the serum.

“What are you thinking about?” He was curious what she wanted, because most of the descriptions sounded pretty good. Even the ones that he actually did have to read the descriptions for to know what they were, once he did they sounded good.

“Pancakes, waffles, French Toast, eggs.” She laughed, she’d never shied away from a good meal, and perhaps it showed, but it was too tasty to pass on good food. She didn’t want to be skinny that badly, even if she felt a little self conscious at times about how her stomach looked.

“Those all sound good.” Steve had been spending time, not only catching up on the past, nearly, seventy years of history, he was also trying a lot of food he’d never had, sampling modern culture, trying to take in everything he missed.

“Is there anything here you used to eat before?” Darcy made a head nod and hand wave to indicate before he woke up, and smiled.

Steve chuckled slightly, catching her meaning. She had asked him a few ‘before’ questions while they hung out that first time. He didn’t mind them, she never asked them in a weird way. “Oatmeal, which I’m sure is better oatmeal than what I ate growing up, but I’m still not jumping to eat it. I’ve been attempting to try all kinds of foods I either never had, or ate very little of. Like pizza, it’s everywhere now, but when I was a kid, I had to actually go to the Italian neighborhood, to a little family owned pizza place, and I didn’t have the money to do that very often. Like pancakes, I had those a few times, always at my friend, Bucky’s house. His mom would make them once in a while on a Saturday morning, usually for someone’s birthday or something. Otherwise, it was usually oatmeal or Cornflakes there. His family was probably not as poor as mine, but they certainly didn’t have a lot of extra money. Sometimes we had eggs. That was always the thing that broke the oatmeal monotony in my house. Usually boiled, hard or soft.”

“I don’t dislike oatmeal, but it’s definitely not what’s calling to me right now.” Darcy had a yogurt for breakfast when she woke up along with her coffee, but looking at the menu, and just smelling whatever was being eaten a few tables away had her stomach starting to rumble at her.

When the waitress came by, they were ready to order, selecting Pancakes, French Toast, BLT with a side of two eggs, Steve went for scrambled, and home fries. Steve also ordered a side of bacon and a side of sausage, and both of them got coffee and orange juice. Steve figured he could have eaten everything they ordered on his own, so he didn’t think the order was that over the top, though the waitress seemed surprised for a moment. He liked that despite the news coverage for a week or so, a couple months ago, it seemed like most people didn’t immediately recognize him. He preferred to blend in, and get a feeling for this era, without feeling even more odd. As Steve paused a moment, wondering if the waitress had or hadn’t recognized him, Darcy gazed out the window. There were tables out front, but inside felt like a nice spot to eat, especially since there was an empty table right by the windows. She could still see people passing by, but her skin got a break from the direct sunlight.

Seeing her just gazing out the window paused Steve’s thoughts for a moment. She really was beautiful. Maybe sometime, if she didn’t think it was weird, he could draw her. Her stare shifted back to him, with a smile, and he smiled back at her, gathering his thoughts for a moment before speaking. “I’m very glad you were willing to come on this ride with me.”

“I’m glad you thought to suggest it. I was a little nervous, I’ll admit. Never ridden on a motorcycle before, but it’s fun, and I feel safe riding with you.” Something in his smile, and his voice had Darcy’s skin tingling. He spoke low, but clear to her, and held her stare like no one else. She felt like he was touching her just with his eyes and voice.

Steve chuckled, “well, I don’t do anything crazy when I have a beautiful woman riding along.” The words came out before he wondered if it was right to say that or not.

Darcy smiled, perhaps a faint blush, “thank you. Both for not doing anything crazy on the bike, and for saying I’m pretty.”

Steve blushed just a bit, as well. “You’re welcome. Of course, about the ride. And you just are beautiful.” He shrugged a little, glancing down and back up at her.

There was near a minute of simply staring into one another, before nearby motion caught both their attentions, the waitress, with their drinks. They both thanked her, then smiled at one another.

“I hope you’ll enjoy the whole day. And if you get tired and want to go back sooner, just let me know.” They hadn’t quite decided how long this day was to run. He’d asked if she wanted to come for a ride, she’d said sure, but she hadn’t been on a motorcycle before, and then asked where to. They then tossed around ideas before deciding on Long Island, along The Sound. Steve had said he’d bring along some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, if she liked those, and they could walk around the Caumsett State Park. Again, she’d seemed into the idea, at least as far as Steve was able to discern tones via text message. There had been a few smilie faces, and an exclamation point after she’d written 'sounds fun’. He assumed that meant she was genuinely excited to take this outing with him, and she certainly seemed to be. But he wasn’t sure if she figured this would be a few hours or the whole day, but he was interested in spending it, whatever time she was willing to give, with her.

“I feel like I slept pretty well last night, so I think I’m up for a whole day out. I don’t actually get out that often anymore, not since I started working for Jane. So, I’m really am glad you asked. I had a lot of fun with you on my birthday. I’d say, actually, that you were what made it a really good birthday for me.” Darcy thought she saw a blush on his cheeks when she spoke, and his smile got all lopsided, but intense.

“I was?” Steve gripped his own knee tight, and shifted his other hand on the table away from his coffee mug, where it had been hovering. He didn’t want to bump it and spill it.

“Yeah, otherwise I would have spent it alone. But it wasn’t just like you were better than no one, you made it really fun for me. You were fun to hang out with and talk to. I like spending time with you. I’m having a great time with you today too. It makes me want to keep spending time with you. You’re smart and funny and caring.” Darcy was sitting forward a bit, hands laced lightly together, resting on the table.

Steve knew he had a full flush over his skin. He could feel his skin warm, like he’d been sitting outside in the sun. “I like spending time with you too. I’ve been kind of alone since I woke up. Everyone on the team has their own things, they’re all occupied a lot. And I don’t always feel like others see me as anything other than an oddity. I was never very good at making friends anyway. But talking to you feels easy, being around you feels comfortable. You’re witty and kind and intelligent.”

Darcy reached out and gave the back of his hand a soft rub and squeeze. When her hand lingered a moment he slowly turned his hand over and curled his fingers around her hand, all without losing each other’s stare. “Well, maybe we should keep each other company more often.”

“Yeah? Like on weekends or just whenever?” Steve may have gotten a little wide eyed as he continued to gently clutch her hand, but she made no movement to suggest she wanted her hand back, so he was hanging onto it as long as she allowed it.

“Yeah, whenever, why not? We can eat, watch movies, go places. Whatever you feel like. I know you’re sometimes busy with Avenger stuff. And sometimes Jane gets onto something and it’s hard to get away from her to even sleep sometimes.” Darcy smiled when Steve chuckled at that, though she definitely wasn’t kidding about how demanding Jane and her work could be. “It would be really nice to have someone to spend free time with. If you want, we can check out things you probably missed from the years on ice.”

One chuckle rolled into another for Steve. “That sounds good, and when you meet new friends and stuff, it’s okay if you need more time for other things.”

“Or you can come along too. I mean, if you want, cause you’d be my friend then too, I hope.” Darcy hadn’t really had time to consider meeting a lot of people outside work. And most of work was just Jane and Erik.

Steve’s smile got broader. He wouldn’t mind, or blame her, for not spending as much time with him, once she got to know more people, he didn’t figure he was that cool or desirable to someone young and beautiful, like Darcy. “I would like to be your friend. I could use a friend.” The Avengers were his friends, but if he was honest, he wasn’t especially close with them, not in the sense of being able to talk about things beyond Avengers business, or in the sense of feeling like he didn’t have to be Captain America around them. They’d all gone their own ways for a bit after the battle, and then drifted back to the Tower slowly. He hoped he’d become better friends with them all, he liked them all, but they weren’t the most open or easy to relax and feel at ease around. Which he knew he was guilty of too. But that didn’t seem to stop Darcy from inviting him to join her on her birthday, and it was shocking how fast just her presence disarmed him of his defenses.

“I could use a friend too, and I definitely want to be your friend. I think maybe we already are friends.” Darcy’s eyes were lit with a vibrant gleam, as she squeezed his hand and felt Steve return the squeeze. She then squeezed again.

It actually felt like he was falling a little more with each squeeze. Steve almost wanted to burst, but he held onto himself even tighter than he held her hand. They sat that way for a bit, until Steve saw their waitress coming toward them with their food. He gave Darcy’s hand one more squeeze before they had to pull their hands apart so there was room for all the food they’d ordered.

While they ate, Darcy peppered him with questions about things he’d liked before the ice. Favorite foods, actors, movies, music, everything really. After a few questions, Steve started asking her questions too, about what she liked. And she perhaps surprised him by being familiar with some of the old movies he’d liked. They shared all the food between them. Steve ate most of the BLT, and the bacon and sausage sides, but Darcy tried them all. She’d tried the BLT by way of, after asking for a bite, putting her hands over his around it and simply pulling it closer and leaning in for two bites. Steve couldn’t take his eyes off her when she did. On the other hand, Darcy ate most of the French Toast, but Steve tried a bit, Darcy cut some pieces and Steve had just reached in with his fork. There was a lot of smiling throughout the meal.

They were almost done, a bit of the pancakes and home fries were all that was left. Their waitress had stopped by and cleared some of the empty plates, so they put what was left in the middle of the table and were both sharing. Darcy stuck a chunk of potato with her fork and brought it to her mouth. Steve wasn’t sure he was supposed to find watching someone eat so appealing, but it was. The food itself was almost as good as watching her eat, though, and Steve wasn’t so distracted he wasn’t having his share of it. “This is really tasty. I would love to be able to have this kind of breakfast more often.”

“If you’re really interested in learning to cook better, we can make that part of our hanging out too.” The way Steve licked his lips made Darcy’s body tingle. She was absolutely willing to teach him to cook, if that meant sitting and eating together more. Well, she’d have taught him anyway because he was a good person, and she liked helping people, but getting to watch him enjoy his food and lick his lips was a bonus.

“You know how to cook all this?” Steve had learned as a teen how to make a few basic staple foods to keep himself fed when his mother was too tired from work to cook, and then became too sick to cook. But it was all very plain and bland. Making something like this at home was never something he’d even considered growing up.

“Mostly. I always feel like the French Toast I get other places, is better than when I make it. And I’ve never done potatoes quite this way, but I’m betting I could find a recipe, it doesn’t look too complicated. You really weren’t bad at the mechanics of cooking, last week. I’m sure you can learn how.” Darcy really thought he knew how to cook something properly in terms of the noodles being just right, or something being the right temperature. What he didn’t seem sure of was seasoning, simply because it sounded like he didn’t have experience with that.

“That would be fantastic. When I first started trying popular modern foods a few months ago, some of it was surprisingly bold, but I’m really quickly enjoying the variety of flavors people use now. Growing up, food that was seasoned with more than salt and pepper was rare, we just didn’t have the time or money for more than that. So a slice of pizza or a hot dog with mustard and relish were kind of special things I only had when I was out and had stashed a little money to spend on something.” Steve grew up with a lot of boiled or baked potatoes, oatmeal, and meat, usually boiled or baked again. It was very basic, that was for sure. He knew how not to burn something, but not so much how to make it taste like anything more than edible.

“We can make a point of cooking things whenever we hang out then. I’m prepared to introduce you to all the different things you need to catch up on, from food to entertainment.” There was a big grin on her face, beaming across the table at him.

Her smile made him chuckle. “I could definitely use a guide to everything I missed out on.” It hadn’t started out as a wistful thought, but when he felt his insides drop, it ended up that way. He hated that, but he made sure the smile stayed on his lips, though he looked down and poked his fork at another potato to distract himself.

“You won’t have missed out, you just get to catch up on a lot.” Darcy’s hand reached out to softly squeeze his free hand.

Steve’s gaze lifted to meet hers at the contact, and he felt like he was bathed in her warmth, again. He didn’t know how she did that, but it was like magic to him. His hand shifted to hold onto hers. “Maybe so. I hope I haven’t missed out on too much, or missed all my chances.”

Darcy wasn’t completely sure of what thing or things he was referencing, but she figured there might be a number of things. Friends lost to time, someone special perhaps. She couldn’t imagine how it would feel to wake up having everything she knew long gone, but she knew it wouldn’t feel good. But she did hope he was finding some hope and fun in this new time, and that maybe she could help him with that. “I like to think even when some chances are lost, others come around, if you want them. I think you can take your time though, figuring out what the world is now, and how you feel in it.”

Her warmth was infectious. Steve liked what she said, he also found simply the sound of her voice was a comfort. The way she spoke carried concern, but also certainty of hope. “I’m trying to find my place in this new world. I just don’t want to lose any chances that I might be getting, when I’ve lost everything I had before.”

“I don’t think you’ll lose any chances. There’s nothing wrong with pacing yourself.” Darcy gave his hand a firm squeeze, her fork had been set down for the moment, while all her attention focused on him, and him alone.

Steve chuckled a little, and saw the kind of curious look on her face when he did. “My best friend would tell you how hard it always was to get me to pace myself, even when I had asthma and an assortment of other ailments. But he’d probably be glad to know someone in this time would at least try to tell me that.”

Darcy giggled a bit, “well, I suppose someone needs to then, if you don’t do it yourself.”

“You’re going to make me pace myself.” Steve raised an eyebrow at her, paired with a crooked smile.

“Yes. You’d be surprised how intense Jane can be. I know how to handle driven people who don’t know when to slow down and take a breather.” Her grin was bright and confident, with just a hint in her eyes that suggested she might be really looking forward to this.

“Just how slow do I need to go, and with what?” There were a slew of different thoughts in Steve’s head, from maybe she was completely just talking about mundane things, to maybe she was feeling the things he was feeling as he squeezed her hand again, and she squeezed his right back.

“It’s not really about going slow, just that not everything has to be accomplished at once. We’ll work on trying foods, cooking foods, watching movies and TV, and listening to music, and about the shifts in society, but it’s okay if that takes some months to get through those things, and if there’s still more things to cover from there.” Darcy was mostly talking about all the things about the world that had changed that he wanted to catch up on. But she didn’t figure he should rush anything given he’d only been out of the ice for a few months. The way he looked at her made her insides dance. If he meant her in any of that, she wasn’t going anywhere, so he didn’t have to rush to that either. She knew she’d rather know he really was sure of what he wanted in this new time, then to become some kind of further complication to his life.

“It sounds like we might have to spend a lot of time together to pace that all out.” His fingers stretched to brush the inside of her wrist, and he watched as her eyelids fluttered softly, and her lips pressed together. Steve licked his lips at just such a time that her eyes were refocusing on his. Her fingers shifted against his hand, brushing his skin, squeezing softly.

Darcy had to swallow before she spoke. “Yeah, probably. So, you’ll have to get used to me.”

“I don’t need to get used to you, I already am.” Their fingers were starting to play with each other, teasing over skin and tangling with each other.

“So, pacing doesn’t sound too bad now, does it?” Her fingers were not ceasing their play, it seemed like it was in keeping with pacing. Darcy didn’t think Steve went around playing with the hands of any women. But she was also good to let it be just teasing each other’s hands and staring for a while.

“Not too bad, no. I think I’ll enjoy any reason to spend some time with you.” Steve definitely did not go holding hands with a woman if he didn’t feel something with her. She probably did have a point about pacing, not just catching up on all he missed, but also in going after anything he had thought he’d missed a chance on. It didn’t feel like it was strictly friendly, the way she looked at him, or the way she touched him, and responded to his touch. So if she was suggesting he didn’t need to rush, then he wouldn’t. There was a bit of chaos in his head, perhaps especially where it regarded women, and that future he’d thought he would have with Peggy, that had suddenly passed him by. It wouldn’t be fair to Darcy to push too far, too fast, with her and then have some kind of breakdown. Steve was good at the game face, but he wasn’t unaware of the fact his mind was definitely still processing things. It was possible he didn’t deserve someone like Darcy, that to date him would be saddling her with an array of issues she didn’t need to deal with. But maybe if he did pace himself, he’d have a chance, or at least get to enjoy being around her.

There was definitely a flush, starting in her cheeks and spreading across her skin. “I’ll enjoy it too. We’ve only gotten to brunch today, and I’m already having an amazing day.”

“I’m glad you’re having fun, and that you want to keep spending time with me. Above all else, I really could use a friend.” Steve wasn’t sure if that sounded slightly desperate, but Darcy did listen to him and engage with him on a level no one else had in this century. She asked about his feelings and well being and seemed to think about how he was doing adjusting to this time. Not that he wanted everyone worrying about him. Generally he tried hard to make sure people knew he could handle himself. But that had been what was special about Bucky and Peggy. They could tell when he was putting up a front, and made sure he knew he wasn’t in it alone.

“Well, you’ve got that for sure.” Darcy’s fingers softly massaging his hand, and there was a sparkle in her eyes as she smiled brighter at him.


	3. Chapter 3

They finished their food and took a little stroll up and down Main Street, just to take in the town and let the meal settle before getting back on the bike. Steve had reached for her hand as soon as they were on the sidewalk, and she'd laced her fingers into his. Wandering into a couple of little shops as they went, Steve just liked how picturesque it all was, and he liked seeing what caught Darcy's eye. She ran her fingers over a scarf in one shop, spent a while admiring a necklace in another, and seemed generally wowed by an eclectic shop full of random gifts.

As they wandered into another shop, still holding hands, the fifty-something lady shopkeeper greeted them. "Hello, lovely day out today. May I help you with anything?"

"Hi. It is. I think we're just looking around, for now." Steve smiled at the woman and nodded, noticing Darcy smile and nod at the woman as well before her gaze swept over some handmade jewelry on display.

"We have a wide variety for the home. As well as jewelry and gifts for the lady. I'm Tracy. Let me know if you have any questions." The shopkeep gave Steve a little wink and smile, nodding at Darcy.

"Thanks." Steve couldn't help chuckling slightly. He glanced at Darcy, who was already grinning up at him, it seemed like the shopkeep was addressing them like a couple. Neither of them seemed inclined to state anything to the contrary. Perhaps they both liked the idea a little more than they were fully ready to admit. They quietly circled the little shop, looking at the artsy home decor. There was a piece of wall art that if he'd had a good way to get it home, Steve might have bought for himself.

After fingering a few pillows, Darcy's gaze returned to the handmade jewelry. The prices weren't crazy, and she was pondering getting one. She leaned into Steve in order to speak just to him, and he bowed his head to get closer. "There's some really nice stuff here."

He kept his voice soft and low, nearly speaking right into her ear. "There is. Which one do you like most?"

"A lot of them are really nice, I'm trying to decide what I like most. I might get one. I really like this necklace, but these bracelets are really nice also." Both the necklace and bracelets were of a beaded variety, with a pendant or charm on them. They appeared to be the same maker, though the beading style was varied.

"You get one, and I'll buy you the other." Steve had been given a fairly generous provision from the government when he woke up, and he wasn't paying any rent on his apartment. Fury had that covered. Tony was working on repairing and renovating the Tower so everyone would have a place there at some point. So, he didn't think twice about paying for a few things.

"Oh, you don't need to do that. You just paid for brunch." Darcy smiled softly, her free hand touching his chest for a moment.

Steve shook his head. "That's just polite practice in my world. This, I want to get you something. You are spending all this time with me, and saying you're willing to spend all this other time and energy on me, I'd like to get you something."

"Steve, I don't need you to get me anything for spending time with you. I want to spend time with you, remember." The pleading puppy look in his eyes was nearly enough to melt her though, and her hand lifted to brush his cheek. When his head leaned into her hand, Darcy's breath caught a moment. Their eyes locked into one another, and they both trembled ever so slightly.

Steve hoped the shopkeep wasn't paying attention, but he knew Darcy noticed him tremble, but he'd felt her do the same. He wasn't much on public displays, but then he'd never really had the opportunity for a lot of them. He didn't need anyone else watching, but boy did he want to be close to Darcy. "Okay, so if I don't owe you anything for that, can I just get you something, because you're wonderful."

Darcy giggled softly, her whole body leaning softly into his. "You are wonderful too. And I don't want anyone to feel like they owe the other anything. That's not what friends are about, right. Or any other relationship for that matter. At least it shouldn't be."

Steve's eyes had gone wide for a moment, but his free hand also went to her hip to keep her balanced. Darcy had that warm smile all over her face, when she pressed her fingers softly at his chest with a question in her eyes. Steve's hand shifted slightly to the small of her back as a means of answer. He was caring less and less about if the shopkeep, or anyone else might be watching, the longer Darcy hovered inside his space, and the more he wanted her to stay there. His hand was not just on her to keep her balanced, it was there to keep her there, at least until she decided to move. "You're right. Does that mean you will or won't let me chip in so you can get both, or not?" 

"Maybe. I saw you looking at that sunburst wall decor, with the little mirror in the middle. Did you like it?" Darcy continued to stand with her body pressed into his. She would have moved, it was why she'd pressed her hand lightly into him, but his hand moving to her back had been plenty to make her feel no need to rush moving back to the more polite space they'd hand before, aside from their interlaced hands.

Steve's eyebrow went up a little, along with the grin that had spread over his lips. "I did, I had thought about it, but I don't know how I'd get it back with just the saddle bags I have on the bike."

"We could ask if there's a way to have it shipped." Darcy figured a place like this probably got a number of visitors who perhaps didn't come prepared or with the space to bring wall art or such things home in whatever they had come with.

"Oh, I hadn't even thought of that." He chuckled a little, staring down at her, she was so very close to him, but if he was going to kiss her, he didn't want to do that for the first time with an audience.

Darcy felt the warmth coming off Steve, and she was probably giving off near as much as he was. She would have loved to know what his lips felt like, but she wasn't pushing anything further with him. Pacing was important, as was timing, and the right place for things. When she stretched up, she aimed decidedly for his cheek, and only let her lips graze his skin for the briefest moment before she shifted, just a little, to look around his broad shoulder at the shopkeep, who was only sometimes glancing over at them from her spot by the counters. "Tracy? Would you happen to be able to ship items somewhere?"

"We certainly can." She watched to see if they were ready or if there was more discussion before a decision was made.

"Thank you." Darcy shifted to look at Steve again. "What do you think? You want to get it?"

"It might be nice. My apartment is pretty plain still. I can't seem to figure out how to make it feel more like home. Having something besides my old uniform and a few things that were there when I arrived as decor might be a good step." Perhaps being an artist, he should have had an easier time decorating his own apartment, but he'd felt at a loss about it for months.

"I think it might help. I'd be curious to see if I can help you with livening up your apartment." Darcy's smile went a little crooked as she cocked and eyebrow at him.

Her whole expression made him chuckle. Steve just smiled for a minute at her, happy she seemed to just smile back at him, before he dropped his voice a little, and leaned a little closer to her ear. "I would like that. You might be just the thing to put some life into my apartment."

Darcy shivered, and bit her lip to stifle a faint gasp. She felt him move his other hand, still laced with hers, so her forearm pressed across her own back with his arm over it, while his other hand slid up her back a little to press between her shoulder blades. His nose gently nuzzled her hair, she couldn't see it, but the prickling sensation around every follicle of her hair told her that was what he was doing, as well as the feeling of his breath over the edge of her face. It took her a few deep breaths, while her free hand clutched his side, to steady her senses enough to reply. She wasn't even trying to make her voice deep and breathy, it just was at that point. "I can probably come up with a number of ways to make your apartment more lively."

Steve clutched her tighter, to avoid visibly trembling at the sound of her voice. Though she may have been able to feel his breath shake before he breathed a reply against her ear. "I'm open to any suggestions or ideas you might have."

She took a deep breath and licked her lips, squeezing his hand, and side, with her forehead against his chest for a long minute. "Okay, pacing. A good first step, how do you feel about throw pillows?"

When she lifted her head at the end of her question to look at him with a lopsided smile, Steve smiled and chuckled. He had very nearly forgotten entirely where they were for a few glorious moments. When he remembered, he was just as happy to feel like it was so easy to laugh with her. "I'm open to the idea."

Darcy finally shifted to push back from him, and Steve made himself pliable to her every move, following her the couple of steps back to where a few chairs and a coffee table sat on display, along with a variety of home decor items. "I really like the big blue ones, but there's some smaller ones as well, if the big ones seem too much."

There were a variety of pillows not only on the chairs, but sitting in shelves nearby also. There were small tan with blue stripes, some plain green ones, among others. "The big ones look nice. I like the smaller ones that are there too."

"Yeah?" Darcy looked up at him, she'd known a couple of guys in college who had teased her for the number of pillows she had everywhere in her dorm and then apartment, such that she'd wondered if guys found extra pillows to somehow be offensive to their masculinity or something. But then, even being from another time, Steve hadn't struck her as being too concerned about that sort of thing.

"I like the colors. And it looks comfortable. If they would entice you to sit on my couch and stay a while, they are worth it." His tone was light, soft, but vaguely playful, and his little smile matched.

"While they wouldn't be necessary, they certainly look nice and comfy. And would make sitting back and spending an evening, or a whole day, watching movies or something very appealing." Darcy moved to sit down in one of the chairs and smiled, the pillow was nice and fluffy and comfy.

Steve sat in the other chair, next to her, conveniently without needing to let go of her hand. He was still getting used to how soft his bed was. It felt a little strange. But the pillow in the chair did feel nice. Maybe it didn't seem as strange when he wasn't trying to fall asleep. And when he looked at Darcy, she looked nice and comfy, he also really liked the way she was looking at him. It made his insides flutter a bit. That was something he definitely had only ever felt with Peggy. "Sounds like a good start."

They smiled at each other for another minute before Steve finally signaled to Tracy, the shopkeep, that they were ready. They both tossed a little money in, and four throw pillows, two large, two smaller, the sunburst mirrored decor, as well as a necklace and bracelet were purchased, and packaged up to ship to them by Tracy. Steve gave her his address, he'd whispered to Darcy that it would mean she'd have to come over to get her necklace and bracelet. She'd said she just might be over before that. After thanking Tracy, and her calling them a 'lovely couple' and thanking them, they headed out.


	4. Chapter 4

The short ride from there to the state park was nice. Darcy hung on tight, pressed to Steve's back again, and he took a few opportunities to touch one hand to hers again, as well. The salt air and warming sun seemed a perfect compliment to the way they both felt. Calm, yet very excited in each other's company. They parked in the main lot near one of the buildings and a garden. Steve pulled a bag with the sandwiches, some waters, and an oversized towel they could sit down on, out of his saddle bag, and slung it over his shoulder and across his chest. Their hands quickly found each other as they started to walk along the path toward the water.

Shortly into walking, Darcy peeled off the light hoodie that she'd had on up until then, and managed to cram it into her bag. It was nearing noon and starting to feel rather warm, even with the water so close. Her hand went right back to his, once she got the hoodie off. Steve mentioned the park was also a bird conservatory. There were a lot of chirping bird sounds, and for a while, they both kept looking into the trees to see if they could spot the birds making the sounds. Steve did catch sight of one and pulled Darcy in close to point it out. She did manage to follow the line of his finger to see the bird. The more they walked though, the more Steve found his attention drifting to watching her.

Darcy was still looking around at all the trees quite a bit, and when she looked up at Steve, she found him already looking at her. For a moment he looked almost dreamy, until he smiled back at her. "It's really nice out here. I had no idea this place existed."

"I didn't realize it did either, until I went looking for places we could go. There is a nice tone out here. A little breeze, some birds chirping, the salt air. I might have to pull out my sketchbook at some point." He had brought it with him, because he did think there might be something worth sketching, besides her, out here. Steve wasn't sure still about asking her if he could sketch her, but he figured if he ever hoped to, he'd have to let her know it was something he did.

She smiled along as he spoke, giving his hand a squeeze, and she closed the small bit of space they had going between them, so her arm brushed against his side, and his arm did the same to her. "You draw?"

"Yeah, growing up, I was too sick to do a lot else. Especially not consistently. So, drawing was something I could sit and do as long as I had the strength to sit up and hold a pencil." Steve shrugged a little, feeling a little clench in his chest, admitting that all to her. He sometimes still felt like that little sick kid, especially when faced with beautiful women. And he really wanted Darcy to continue to like him, to keep spending time with him, to maybe become something more in time, with the right pacing.

"I'd be interested in seeing what you draw, if that's possible. If you feel comfortable sharing." Darcy was very curious, but wouldn't push him to show her. Only if he really felt comfortable doing so.

"Not a lot of people ever asked to see my work. My mom, my friend, a couple teachers. But I wouldn't mind showing you." Steve looked down, trying to pull up the nerve to ask her if maybe he could draw her.

Darcy thought maybe he wasn't really sure about it. Her free hand brushed down his arm. "It doesn't have to be today, or anything. Pacing."

"No, that's not it. I would like to show you." Steve caught her eyes as their forward movement along the path slowed. "I just, I have been thinking about drawing you since last week."

Her mouth opened, but for a moment she had no words. Him tensing made her squeeze his hand and smile. "You'd really like to draw me?"

Steve nodded softly, his hand clutching hers a little tighter and pulling the back of her hand and arm against his chest. Their walking halted entirely as they faced each other. "Yes, if you don't mind, sometime. It doesn't have to be here, today."

"No one has ever asked me something like that. Even friends, I don't even get asked to be in photos very often." Darcy felt her stomach flutter. "Is there anything particular?"

"I've mostly been thinking about sketching your face. Whenever you're comfortable with it, I'd love to try. You can look at my stuff first. But I do promise I am reasonably good at it." Steve wasn't really one to brag, but he did know he was skilled, and he wanted her to know his drawing of her would look like her.

"Maybe when we take a rest you can show me a few, and then just let me know whenever it is you're going to draw me. Unless it doesn't matter if I move around a lot while you do it. Then you can just show me when you finish, maybe?" Darcy didn't always love how she looked in pictures, but she tried to. She hoped though, that her feeling was right, that she'd like however it was he saw her.

"A mostly still subject is simpler, but I could probably make do. I'll definitely let you see when I'm done, and hopefully you'll like it." While he did have confidence in his abilities, he was still anxious for her to like whatever he did. Steve did like how much she smiled at him at his response, he hoped she'd do the same when she saw his work. When she rolled up on her toes to peck his cheek, he stood for a moment after with a stupidly happy grin on his face, until she giggled softly and gave his arm a little tug.

There was a long stretch of the path to the beach that was completely covered by trees, which was nice, since Darcy figured once they got to another sunny spot, she probably should reapply her sunscreen. The next clearing was the beach. Even in the summer, the park was a fairly mellow place. There was one fisherman out along the sand with his pole, and they saw a few people wandering farther down the shore, and one family on a picnic blanket, with the younger child playing in the sand. Steve readily offered to help Darcy with her sunscreen, and she didn't complain when he took his time making sure every bit of her exposed skin was gotten.

"It's getting warmer, especially with the sun." There was a soft breeze off the water, but Steve could feel the sun beating down without the tree cover. His body regulated pretty well, but he was thinking the button down plaid was more than he needed.

"You could take this off. You have a shirt underneath." Darcy tugged softly at the front of his shirt, and he chuckled.

"That might be a good idea. Want to help me with the buttons?" Steve almost couldn't believe he'd asked that, but she was staring at him with playful eyes, and kept pinching his shirt, and he couldn't seem to stop the gentle tease.

Darcy took no offense to the comment, laughing lightly, wasting no time in doing just as he'd asked, undoing the buttons on his plaid shirt. She couldn't help the inhale at the way his muscles almost looked ready to bust out of the thin white tee he had underneath. She didn't even realize she'd licked her lips until Steve chuckled.

He peeled off the over shirt and tucked it into the bag he had with him. Breathing a bit easier when Darcy seemed amused and willing to go with his impulsive, somewhat teasing request. Though he felt his insides tense again when he caught her reaction to him. "Want to walk around the sand a little?"

"Sure, but I think spending time on the beach calls for no shoes." Darcy was quick to pull off her shoes, stashing her socks in the shoes, and tying the laces together and hanging them from her bag.

Steve did the same, chuckling the whole time. This was not something he had done before, strolling a beach, barefoot, with a woman. The very notion had his pulse stepping up a notch. Being on The Sound, there wasn't much wave action, just a gentle lapping at the shore, which, when he rolled up his pants a bit, made for a nice way to walk along the water. The water cooled their feet, as they found each other's hands. It was becoming automatic. They wandered the sand a while before laying out the big towel and sitting down to eat their sandwiches.

Steve pulled out his sketchpad and a pencil, but let Darcy have a look through the book before he tried to draw anything. She was impressed, to say the least, with his work. She 'ooo'ed at them all, pointing out little details she especially liked in each, as he felt his cheeks getting warmer and warmer. But he couldn't complain, she did so while sitting pressed into his side, the sketchbook in his lap the whole time. He'd placed his hand on the towel they sat on, to her far side and behind her, so it was almost like he had his arm around her. Until she leaned in so many times, his hand finally moved to her hip.

They relaxed a while, as he drew her and the scenery around her, she read and just took in the water and trees and sand. They spotted a few birds as well, pointing them out to each other and pausing whatever else to watch for a few minutes. There were intermittent silences, as they just took in the sensations of the shore and each other. However, Darcy also managed to ask Steve some questions about his art, and how he got into it, and what his favorite things to draw were. He usually drew scenery, buildings, landscapes, but sometimes still lifes, and people, when he had a little bit to at least start the basics of the sketch before the person up and moved. His eidetic memory did give him a little more leeway than most artists would have in their subject remaining before them for the duration of the work. In turn, Steve asked her about her hobbies, and Darcy shared that she liked to crochet, knit, write, read, and listened to a lot of music.

"Okay, it's finished. You can look." Steve released a big sigh before sucking in another breath as Darcy shifted and crawled the few feet over the towel to him. She sat down pressed into his side again. He loved that feeling, he was already addicted to it.

"Oh my god! It's amazing! I look pretty." The amazement in her eyes was near overflowing, such that there was a soft shine of almost tears there.

For a moment Steve was stunned by the intensity of her reaction. But he slowly recovered his voice, and his hand moved to let his fingers brush at the strands of hair caught in the breeze crossing her face. "You are more than pretty. You are beautiful. I said it before, and I'll keep saying it. Because it's true."

Darcy leaned in and pressed her lips to his cheek, but unlike earlier kisses, her lips moved slow against his skin, lingering as her lips rolled together. Her nose then brushed across his cheek and whispered in his ear. "Thank you."

Steve wrapped his arm around her back and held her close as he felt her nuzzle into his neck. He had to take a deep breath to settle himself, but kept her close so she wouldn't think she should back away. He closed his sketchbook, but left it in his lap, and when her arms circled around his waist, his other hand combed through her hair before curling around her shoulder.


	5. Chapter 5

There seemed to be no rush to stop cuddling, so they lingered a while like that, only shifting slightly to look when one of them spotted a bird. Occasionally whispering about how nice the day was, or how they were enjoying being there with the other person. It was mid-afternoon when they decided, after Darcy got another reapplication of her sunscreen, to put their shoes back on and pick up to walk around another trail and see some more of the park. Along the way, they saw more birds, a couple squirrels, and a deer. While holding hands, of course. When they reached a grassy area near the old estate building, they paused again to sit a little while. There were some sparrows chirping and hopping around nearby.

Steve reached for her as soon as they'd sat on their oversized towel. Contact with her was definitely addictive. He pulled her in close, and sighed with a smile when she cuddled into his side. Despite the warmth outside, he was very happy to feel her warm body against his, and she seemed to feel the same way.

After a few quiet moments, looking around at the birds, Steve spoke. His tone calm and relaxed, even with his thumping heart. "A guy could get used to this."

"A girl could get used to this too." Darcy was already watching his face when he looked at her, and her smile turned from lazy to bright upon meeting his gaze.

"Maybe another thing we can do sometimes is taking little day trips like this?" His voice was soft, as his fingers stroked through her hair. She smelled of her sunscreen, and he was growing fond of it.

"We should definitely make a point of doing that too. We should do anything and everything that sounds like fun together." Darcy's hand rubbed lightly over his chest as she spoke. She hadn't forgotten pacing, but she also wasn't sure there really were many restrictions on that anything and everything statement, should he express interest.

"Anything and everything, huh? I'll have to keep that in mind." Steve squeezed her a little tighter, and felt her do the same to him. It was a small move, but it was a move, as Steve slowly leaned them back until they were actually laying down.

Darcy had moved her one arm as Steve leaned them back. She got a little wide eyed, she knew he was strong, but she hadn't fully realized just how strong until he slowly eased them back to the ground, like it was nothing, supporting and controlling not only his own body, but hers too. "You really are strong."

Steve chuckled, "I am." He had his far leg bent up, while the one closer to her stretched out.

She shifted to look up to the sky, resting her head on his shoulder. His arm shifted with her, and it was a moment before she realized his hand was resting on her belly. That was usually a zone she got nervous about where guys were concerned. Her own hand landed on top of his, and she felt his fingers press into her softly. When Darcy looked up at him, he was smiling, warmth seeming to rush from him, right through her. "Not a lot of clouds, but the sky is still nice to look at."

Not that either of them was looking at the sky when she'd said that. Steve's free hand reached for hers, and their fingers softly played together. "There's a lot of nice things to look at here. Is there anything else, here or anywhere we can get to, that you want to see today? Maybe we could go to dinner or something?"

"How about or something. I'm curious to see your apartment, if you wouldn't mind, and we could make dinner. Otherwise, you could come over to my place." Darcy's fingers clung to Steve's hands, hope in her eyes.

It was such a pure look, it made Steve smile. He managed to keep himself to a big smile, when inside he felt like bouncing around at the prospect. "You'll be the first person to come over to my place, and I'd like that. You can look around, maybe help me figure out what else might help the place feel warmer. And making dinner sounds perfect."

Darcy shifted, pulling her near hand from his to prop herself up on her elbow. "Really? No one else has dropped by or anything?"

"No. Fury gave me the keys to the place, and I haven't invited anyone over, and no one's dropped in." Steve's speech was a bit slow, as Darcy's leg leaned so far into him, it was on top of his leg, and and he became very aware of how her body felt against his. And his mind started having trouble processing anything other than how it might feel to just have her laying on top of him, possibly in much less clothing than they currently had on. It took all his focus to get all the words out, as the fingers on his free hand brushed down her side, over her hip, and along the outside of her thigh.

Even through the jean material, his fingers running down her hip and thigh was rushing tingling sensations over her whole body. Her hand moved off his hand on her stomach to slide over his abdomen and up his chest. Darcy hummed softly, her eyelids closing. She took a few long breaths before her eyes slowly opened again. She was trying very hard to keep pacing in mind, because she knew she could have easily gotten completely lost in him. After a long, contented sigh, she laid her head back on his shoulder, and felt him try to hold her closer. "I'm really glad you're okay with having me over."

"I'm really glad you want to come over and spend time with me." Steve pulled in a lung full of air and let it out before continuing. "I might see people working at the Tower most days, but I've been feeling pretty alone ever since I woke up."

Darcy had looked up at him when she heard his deep breath, and the intensity in his eyes alone almost rocked her, but the admission that came with it made her try to squeeze him tight, complete with her leg curling around his. "Anytime you feel alone, you can always call me. And as long as Jane isn't in the middle of something crazy going into the night, we can meet and hang out that evening. Not that you have to be feeling lonely to hang out with me. We can do that whenever. But if you are feeling that way, I want you to call or text me, so I can try to do something about it."

"Okay." The warmth that flooded Steve's features made her grin.

They laid there, wrapped in each other for a while, until Darcy felt like she might be risking sun burn if she didn't move and reapply. Steve helped her with that, he liked the excuse to run his hands over her skin, even with the sunscreen. Not that it seemed like Darcy minded his touch any other time, still, he took any opportunity. Once they decided to get moving again, he gathered up the blanket, while Darcy did a few cartwheels in the grass. It made him chuckle, when he asked what made her do that, she just said she felt like it. She was bursting with so much energy, she had to do something with it, something other than jump Steve.

They walked the big loop around the old manor home, taking their time looking around, watching the birds, and other people around, and sometimes just stopping to hug and cuddle. They debated what to make for dinner and what movie to watch. Steve gave thoughts and opinions, but was largely deferring to Darcy to make a final choice on both matters, since she was the one who had to lead the cooking, and the one who had either seen, or at least heard about most of the movies that he'd missed out on. She also asked about what kind of cookware he had. Steve did the best he could to describe it, but then suggested maybe they should stop at his place first so she could see what there was, and then they could make a shopping run. She had laughed and agreed that sounded best, though she had a few ideas about what she might want to make. Before they left, they had a walk through the four acre Walled Garden by the parking area, because, as Darcy said, it seemed a shame not to check it out when it was right there. Steve would have followed her anywhere at that point, so a little stroll through a garden, he didn't even need convincing. As far as he was concerned, anything that added time, to the time she was with him, was something he was interested in. When Darcy stopped to admire some of the flowers and the little bird bath fountain thing at the center of the garden, Steve shifted. She'd just barely glanced to see why he pulled his hand from hers, when he slipped his hands around her waist from behind. It was a big move for him, and she had smiled and leaned back into him right away. They lingered a little bit before deciding it was probably time to move along.


	6. Chapter 6

It was evening when they climbed back onto Steve's motorcycle. The sun was still up, though it was clear it was going to start heading for the horizon. There was perhaps an hour and a half or so left of sunlight. The days inched shorter as August turned into September. The ride back into The City was full of moments at stop lights, where Steve pressed his back into her, making her laugh, and she squeezed him as tight as she could with her arms. At one light, Darcy left him with the warmth of her lips on the back of his neck. She had felt him shudder when she did, and decided she shouldn't do it again. It was distracting, but it had felt amazing to Steve. He still managed to focus when the light changed. A few lights later, and he'd reached his hand back to brush over her leg, his fingers teasing, particularly, at the exposed flesh of her ankles. That made her giggle, and tremble, and nuzzle the back of his neck.

Darcy made a small list, when they got to his apartment, of things to get for their dinner while Steve put things away from their outing. There was a grocery store just a few blocks away, which allowed them to do more walking hand in hand. Steve found himself in a bit of a blissful daze after watching her moving around his kitchen, looking through his fridge and cabinets, to see what he had, and what she'd need. Even though they'd just spent the whole day together, holding hands and cuddling close, it was like a fresh wave of amazement to him. It became more real. She wasn't just a dream, she was actually present in his life, in his apartment, walking the city street with him, to the grocery store he'd been getting acquainted with.

Inside the grocery store, Darcy quickly noticed that nearly every female employee stole at least a few glances at Steve. She didn't blame them, she'd have done the same if she were them, hell, she was still stealing all the glances she could at him, even while holding his hand. "I'm guessing you've been frequenting this grocery store since you moved in."

Steve noticed people glancing at him, but didn't focus on it. He generally preferred not to be noticed. Luckily most people didn't seem to actually recognize him outright as Captain America. Without the uniform, it seemed many didn't register who he was. The one person he'd actually been certain did recognize him, about a month ago, was a young girl, no more than six, and all she'd done was grin at him and wave. He'd smiled and nodded at her, which had seemed to make her happy, and she somehow knew not to make a scene. The ladies at the store, he thought a couple of them might be flirting when he came through their line or something, but mostly he just smiled politely and moved along. There was a hint of a question in his eyes and voice, though he didn't ask it when he spoke. "Yeah, it's the closest to my apartment. Though I've gone to a couple of others on occasion, I probably stop in here weekly, at least."

Darcy giggled softly, catching the question. They'd only been in the store a few minutes and a few of the women had done multiple longing visual sweeps of Steve. "Every woman working in this store has eye balled you, at least once, since we walked in. And I'm betting the two by the registers are whispering about the fact you didn't come in alone today."

Steve glanced over his shoulder for a moment and then scanned the store. They were moving slowly toward the produce area, and when Darcy loosened her fingers, Steve squeezed. She smiled at him and squeezed back. "I suppose several of them are kind of flirtatious when I end up speaking to them at the check out. One of them may have tried to ask me out a few weeks ago."

"What did she say?" Darcy's eyebrow went up with a grin.

Steve chuckled at the look and squeezed again, gently tugging on her arm, stopping them in front of the variety of lettuce the store had. "I've gotten her at the checkout line a lot, she's the blond one by the registers. She seems nice, her name is Amy. She knows I moved in recently and said if I wanted, she could take me to a really cool bar, show me some sights, and we could have some fun." His cheeks were a bit flushed.

"Yeah, sounds like she was probably asking you out. Why didn't you say yes? She's cute." Darcy had taken another glance toward the registers when he mentioned it was the blond.

"I didn't feel ready for that. A few two minute interactions at the check out didn't make me feel like I knew her well enough. And with my life being what it is, full of chaos, uncertainty, and lost things, I guess that feeling is even more intense now than it was even when I was young, before serums and new centuries." His shoulders shrugged a bit heavy, though his gaze remained fixed on Darcy.

"Some people would say that that's what going on a date is for." She gave his hand a firm squeeze and smiled at him.

"I don't know, I feel like I like knowing more about someone before going on a date. Otherwise it seems awkward." He felt the anxious energy in his body slowly being forcibly restrained by the warm she was giving off. Her eyes were so soft and kind, reaching into his.

"Did you have some awkward dates like that in the past?" Darcy shifted into him a little to allow someone behind her to reach something, and dropped her voice so only Steve would hear her, without losing eye contact with him.

"Double dates, yeah. The girls were never that interested before the serum. So, I was probably a bit of a let down to the friend of some girl my friend was dating, especially if they expected I'd look anything like my friend did." Maybe Steve should have been more conscious of the fact they were standing in the produce section of the grocery store, but he was too taken with her to care much. He was happy to have her lean closer though, and tried to leave room for people to get around him.

Somehow her smile managed to get even softer and warmer. "I can understand that. Honestly, I never felt comfortable with the concept of going out with someone I knew nothing about. Even when I did think I knew something about a guy, it still sometimes didn't end up going well once we dated."

While the feeling she was giving off through her expression and body was so comforting, Steve wanted to bury himself in it, her words made him wonder, and worry a little. "Oh, what happened?"

Darcy looked around briefly, "probably not stories for the grocery store. But they weren't always as decent as I thought they were."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Steve's face fell, a strange mix of sad and fierce in his eyes, while his voice had a dark edge.

Darcy's warmth only faltered a moment from the intensity of his look. Her free hand brushing his his arm. "It's okay. It's all past, I like to think I grew and learned from it, and am better at choosing good people to spend my time with."

"That's good." Steve knew what it was like to fall for someone, and to keep falling more and more, little by little, because that had been what it was like with Peggy. And he was feeling like he was falling there and then, like his heart was melting inside at what Darcy said, at the soft voice she said it in, at the look in her eyes that made it hard for him to look away. But he also felt like he had to make sure to move at the right pace, so he didn't mess it all up, and maybe leave the door open for her to find someone who wasn't going to drag so much drama into her life. Maybe he was decent, but his life was a mess, and if she'd had bad relationships, she deserved not only a good one, but one that wouldn't be such a disaster. Still, his hand squeezed tight around hers. His gaze shifted when he felt other eyes on him, and noticed Amy, the checker, pass by, with a kind of longing look. When he looked back at Darcy, she grinned and giggled. "What was that?"

"They probably think you're taken now, because we're holding hands, and having hushed conversations in the produce section." There was a smirk amidst the warmth.

"Is that okay? If they, or other random people, think we're dating?" Steve didn't know if there was some protocol to that these days, or if it simply might bother her.

Darcy had to smile a little more at the earnestness with which he asked that. "I've, generally, in my life, tried not to care too much what other people thought. While I haven't always been good at that. I don't mind at all if people want to assume we're together, if you don't mind that either."

"I'm alright with people thinking whatever they want about us." They were facing each other again, and Steve had to force himself not to pull her any closer and wrap his arms around her and just get lost in her eyes. It wasn't the place. But he could feel the twitching in his muscles, suppressing the urge. He adjusted his other hand around the basket in an attempt to channel the energy out of his body.

"On the down side, there's a lot of disappointed ladies in this store. But, if you'd prefer not to get asked out while shopping, at least you have a polite and easy out." Darcy giggled and shifted, figuring they should get what they came for and get back to his apartment. She'd decided on pesto, since Steve had said he liked pretty much everything of the Italian food variety that he'd tried thus far, and he had a blender she could use, and she knew how to make it.

They managed to move quickly through the store after their lingering conversation in front of the lettuce. Purchasing a nice reusable grocery bag on the way out also, since Steve didn't have one, he'd been just getting the paper bags at check out.


	7. Chapter 7

When they got back to the apartment the sun was starting to hang low, the tall buildings of Manhattan casting long shadows over the streets. The air was still warm, though not nearly as hot as it had been earlier, especially in the middle of The City.

Steve found himself leaning in the doorway of his kitchen, watching her wash her hands at the sink. When she turned around, her nose was a bit scrunched up. "Why do I feel like that's an unhappy look?"

"Not unhappy, just a byproduct of having had to put on too much sunscreen. I feel kind of sticky, even after washing my hands."

"Do you want to take a shower, or bath or something?"

Darcy didn't generally bathe in places she wasn't living, or staying at the time. The trailer and the old auto dealership they rented in the desert became home for a time, so she did shower there. But she did feel like she'd feel so much better not coated in several layers of sunscreen. "Maybe. I feel like it's strange showering someplace I'm not staying at. But I think I would feel better if I were clean."

"I see what you mean. Whichever way you feel more comfortable. I have clean towels. And you can stay over if you want, you can sleep in the bedroom, the door locks and everything, I can sleep on the couch. Since with dinner and a movie, we probably won't be done until eleven or later. Unless it's too late and you just want to have dinner, or, " Steve could feel himself rambling, yet he couldn't stop it. He didn't want her to be at all uncomfortable, but he didn't feel weird having her shower or sleep there, as long as it didn't make her feel weird. It was getting later, he'd take her home whenever she wanted to go, but the thought seemed nice in his head, to just relax and eat and watch a movie and not worry about the time or her needing to go home.

Darcy smiled as he started to ramble. She felt all her worry, over it seeming weird, fall away. Stepping the few steps to him, she pressed her fingers to his lips mid ramble. "Thank you, Steve. A shower would be nice, and it might be nice to not feel rushed to go home. I don't really want to kick you out of your bed, though."

The corners of Steve's mouth had curled into a smile while her fingers were pressed softly against them. His hand brushed over hers and down her arm, then back up. He lightly held her wrist and let his lips roll a kiss against her fingers. When he started to speak, her fingers slipped down to his chin and away, and laced into his fingers. "I really don't mind. I'm still used to sleeping on the ground, and cots, from the war. Beds now are far softer than the ones I grew up sleeping on. I could sleep on the hardwood floor and be comfortable."

"No, please don't sleep on the floor. Maybe it won't hurt your back, but I think it might hurt mine just thinking of you doing that." Darcy clutched both his hands when she said that. "How big is your bed?"

Feeling her grab his other hand and squeeze them both, and seeing that pleading in her eyes made him try to pull her closer. With their hands laced, it resulted in him pinning her forearms to her back with his own and pressing her into his body. His forehead brushed hers when she asked about his bed. And if the furrow in his brow wasn't clear enough, the confusion was also in his voice. Perhaps if he'd thought longer, or could think clearer than he was with her so close, he'd have figured where she was going with her question. "What?"

Darcy gasped, then giggled at the way Steve held her. He was so close, if he hadn't become confused at her question, she might have caved to her impulse to press a kiss to his lips. Instead, her smile deepened. "If it's a reasonably sized bed, we're probably adult enough to share it. I mean, we spent a while laying together in the grass. It's the same thing, only a soft bed, and we'd get to fall asleep, and no potential sun burn for me."

Somehow when she put it that way, it sounded so simple and reasonable. Like no big deal at all, and Steve was nodding. "That sounds nice, when you say it like that."

"It could be really nice. Warm, and cozy. Sleep and cuddle." Darcy wiggled her fingers in his and shifted her arms. When she did, Steve loosened his hold so she could move. Her arms did pull away, but only so they could slide around his waist.

Steve seemed to try to wrap his arms as tight and as far around her as he could without squeezing her too tight. Burying his face in her hair, as she nuzzled hers into the spot where his neck met his shoulder. He hummed softly, and trembled. When he managed to speak after a few quiet moments of them just holding each other, his voice was deep, and little more than breath in her ear. "I really like cuddling you."

Darcy squeezed him tight, as tight as she could, and the sound she made when he spoke was just shy of a moan. It took her a few minutes to find her words, while the fingers on one of Steve's hands played in her hair. "I could do this all day."

That made him chuckle, and without even thinking, Steve pressed his lips to her temple, firm and lingering, while he clung to her such that she probably could have let her legs go and she'd have stayed upright and pressed against him. "You are amazing."

His response had her giggling, but slightly stunned also. "Thank you, you are too. But what's so funny?"

Steve finally loosened just enough to allow him to actually look down at her again. "I've said that a few times before, 'I could do this all day', but it was always in situations where I was in the middle of a fight where I was likely going to get my ass kicked."

When he explained, still chuckling, she laughed too. "I'm going to vote that cuddling is a much better way to spend a day then fighting."

"I'm going to agree with that." Steve actually had never really shied from a fight, even when he was sure to lose. He didn't mind fighting, sometimes it was all he felt good at doing. But Darcy seemed to like cuddling with him, so maybe he was good at that too, and he definitely liked the prospect of cuddling her more than getting into a fight with someone.

Darcy nuzzled him again, for a moment, lifting her head with a long sigh. "I should probably go take that shower so we can get to making dinner."

"Good idea. I might sneak a shower when you're done." Steve smiled, his hands brushing up and down her back.

"Okay, I'll try to be quick then so you have some hot water left." Her hands gave his sides a squeeze, taking another deep breath so she could try to peel herself away from him.

One hand moved to tuck a bit of her hair behind her ear. "Don't rush, there's plenty of hot water. This building has gotten some updates, cause I've given the water heater a few good work outs since I moved in."

She laughed a little. "A nice long, hot shower can be really soothing."

His expression shifted from a warm smile to something that held a bit of sadness. "It can. I probably spent more than an hour in there almost right after I arrived. After Fury's debrief, it felt like my head was still spinning, and I just soaked myself in there. I know saving water is a thing now, I try not to do it too often. But it's nice to have once in a while." The way he spoke was soft and slow, his hands squeezing her body here and there, trying to draw strength from her presence.

Darcy pressed a long, soft kiss to his jaw as she held him close and tight, and her face lingered near, her eyes opening to stare. "Conserving water is good. But I'd say if anyone has earned the occasional extra long, hot shower, it's you. You've been processing things no one else can even imagine."

Steve brushed his nose against hers, soaking in her stare. The hot shower was nice, but she was far more soothing to him than any shower could hope to be. But, he knew he had to let her go take her shower so she could feel more comfortable. And he wanted to make sure Darcy was happy and comfortable, because then maybe she'd spend more time with him. Maybe when he had a tough time, instead of trying to drown himself in the shower, he could drown himself in the feeling of her.

Darcy headed for the shower, while Steve went looking for something she could put on after. Since she was going to stay, and she said something clean would be nice, he quickly offered up anything he had. She had said a t-shirt would be good, it was comfortably warm, that was all she said she needed to sleep in. He tried not to let his mind dwell on the concept, though it did keep wandering. Once he found one he knocked on the bathroom door to let her know, he'd figured he could leave it hanging from the door knob or something. But she called out that the door was unlocked, so he left it on top of the toilet, and let her know that. He'd been surprised when she poked her head out, to thank him with a smile. He had waved his fingers at her with the stupidest grin he'd probably ever had, before backing out of the bathroom and closing the door behind him. When she appeared dried off, save for slightly damp hair, wearing just his shirt, and presumably underwear, Steve definitely had a bit of wide eyed longing going on. Darcy had smiled and giggled at him, and told him to go shower, while she prepped for dinner, that way they could get to making it as soon as he got out of the shower.

Steve took a little longer than he’d intended, but he’d had to get himself a little release. And after he got out, he started a laundry load with her clothes and some stuff he needed to wash, before joining her in the kitchen to make dinner. As soon as he opened the bathroom door, he heard music and singing. He was finding the doorway of his kitchen had some amazing views when Darcy was there.


	8. Chapter 8

Darcy had pulled out her iPod and set it on the counter to play some music while she set up the blender, and got everything laid out to make the pesto, which was going to go on some tortellini they were going to cook up. She was rinsing off the cherry tomatoes, that she planned to slice in half, and add to the dish at the very end. She was swaying her hips to the music and singing along. Setting the washed tomatoes to the side, she turned around and smiled at Steve. He might have been the one with the super abilities, but she'd still felt his presence in the doorway, and his gaze watching her before she actually looked to see him. "Everything is ready to make. I just turned on the heat on the stove to get the water boiling for the tortellini, and we can make the sauce while that's going on."

Steve chuckled when she seemed completely unsurprised by his standing there. "Sounds good. What should I do?"

Darcy talked him through blending the ingredients in the best order, and got the tortellini cooking once the water boiled. Steve actually did most of the actual making, which was a great way for him to learn. He knew he'd remember it all, and then he'd be able to make it himself next time. Dinner came together fairly quickly, even with him spying her in his shirt a few times. She grinned at him every time, and he thought he caught her returning the visual once overs.

With Steve dressed in loose, soft cotton pajama pants, and a tee shirt that clung very nicely, to seemly every muscle in his body, Darcy had definitely looked. And seeing how snug his shirts were on him, she understood how she was having trouble keeping the shirt she was wearing covering her ass. And she did think now, he'd found her one of his looser, larger shirts to wear, if the one he had on now, and the one earlier today were his normal. At least she didn't feel like the only one on display. Even though she didn't have pants, he seemed to be showing almost as much, in that shirt. "Are all your shirts that snug on you?" She reached to tug on the sleeve of his shirt, one finger sliding under the hem at his shoulder while he was mixing sauce into the tortellini.

Steve chuckled a little, setting the food aside a moment after it seemed done, other than the tomatoes. "I still only have a handful of tee shirts, basically just what Fury provided me with. I've bought two button downs, and the pair of khakis and boots I wore today. Otherwise most of what's here, from furniture to clothes is what was provided. I actually think Coulson got everything together, but it was all here when Fury handed me the keys and the address to the place."

"Well, I can hardly complain about how they look on you, and if they're comfortable then more the same size. But we should maybe see about getting you some more wardrobe, of whatever style you want. You mentioned jeans earlier. We could go shopping or something. Or if you hate the idea of shopping, but trust me enough to bring things for you to try, you can give me your sizes, and I can do the leg work and you can try stuff on at home." Darcy pulled out two plates and two forks and dishing some out for herself, then nudging it toward Steve to take some.

"I'm not especially fond of clothes shopping, but maybe if you went with me, it might be nicer. I wouldn't mind trying some more modern things, as long as they aren't too crazy." He had a contented smiled as he watched her, and it remained as he shifted his visual attention to getting the food on his plate.

Darcy laughed as she sliced the tomatoes in half and started adding them to the top of their plated food. "Don't worry, I won't be trying to get you to wear anything too weird. There's some classic styles that always work, and some things that are new to you, but have become classic looks, like jeans, sneakers, hooded sweatshirts."

Steve's kitchen wasn't especially roomy, though for New York City, it was a good size, but they seemed to be keeping far closer than the space even required. He was utterly adoring sharing space with her, because there was something about her that eased his mind, calmed his soul. She felt good for him. He just worried that he wouldn't be as good for her, because how could he be when he had far more than the common baggage. But as long as she seemed happy to be around him, he was going to bask in it. "Those all sound like things I'm willing to try. They look good on other people anyway."

"I have no doubt they'll look good on you. It's just a matter of if you feel comfortable in them, because that's the important part." She gave his arm a quick squeeze before slicing some more tomatoes. Darcy soon had given them both a generous amount and quickly put away extra tomatoes and pesto in the fridge, while Steve stood and watched her moving around his kitchen.

"Looks like you've found your way around in here." As soon as the comment left his lips, it started doing funny things to his insides, and his mind started imaging her spending a lot more time in his kitchen with him. The feeling may have been aided by the fact that she leaned over a bit to put things into his fridge, his shirt rode up on her a little, and he now knew her panties were purple with small lighter purple polka dots, and a lace trim that matched the dots. He also knew those panties did not quite fully cover her butt cheeks, and he had to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

She had giggled at his remark, but when Darcy closed the fridge and looked at him, Steve's head was leaned back and his eyes were closed, his hands pressing down his thighs as he leaned slightly back into the counter. "Are you alright, Steve?"

He opened his eyes and stood up straight, his gaze catching her concerned eyes. Steve sighed and his posture loosened a bit. "Yeah, sorry. I got distracted. I'd say you look better in my shirt than I do." He felt the warmth flooding his cheeks, but at least it wasn't rushing to other parts as much as it was a moment ago.

It was her turn to flush, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Thank you. And sorry for probably flashing you there."

"Not your fault. Sorry for looking." He rubbed his hands on his pants, glancing down a moment before being pulled back to her gaze. It was hard not to look when she had that soft, warm look about her.

"That's okay, I don't mind you looking." Darcy had stepped closer to him and leaned up to give his jaw a soft kiss, and his arms closed around her. She gave him a long squeeze, rubbing one hand against his back, while the other looped under his arm to grip his shoulder.

She held him while Steve took a few more long breaths. He nuzzled her just above the ear before pulling back and releasing her. "Thank you." When she tilted her head curiously at him, he just shrugged.

"You don't need to thank me for hugging you. I'm happy to hug you whenever you want or need it. I like your hugs too, they feel comforting and powerful. I like feeling like I can feel inside you when you hug me." Darcy's hand touched his chest and slid down it when she said 'inside', and they shared a long sigh before shifting for the food.

"I don't have a table, so maybe we can eat on the couch?" It seemed sort of a strange idea to him. Normally Steve ate at the desk, but it only had the one chair. "But if you don't like that, I have an extra chair in the bedroom I could bring out to the desk."

Darcy smiled all soft and warm at him, again. "The couch sounds perfect. We could even start the movie if you want."

Steve smiled back, any lingering tension he had falling away. "That sounds good."


	9. Chapter 9

They sat down and ate while starting up "Somebody Up There Likes Me", which Darcy had picked. It was an old movie to her, but had come after Steve's time. She decided Paul Newman was an excellent place to start Steve on catching up. As it turned out, Steve was familiar with the real Rocky Graziano. Steve's friend had known the guy in passing, since they both competed in amateur boxing competitions in New York City for a few years, though not against each other, different weight classes. Which made Darcy decide it really was the perfect place to start, and from there she said they could make their way through Paul Newman's most notable films.

Sitting close while they ate, and Darcy took the dishes back to the kitchen quickly once they finished. When she returned, Steve didn't even wait for her to sit to reach for her. His hands softly pulling her hips to sit, and when her ass landed on his thigh, he just looked at her with a smile and a question in his eyes. Darcy had smiled and happily cuddled against him for the rest of the movie. Steve did find he enjoyed the movie, even on its own merits. Though he enjoyed the viewing experience even more, with his arms around her, and her head tucked into his shoulder. She was the first to run her finger tips over his skin, creating the most wonderfully light, tickling sensation over his arms. It didn't take him long to return the favor, dancing his fingers over her arms. Then she moved to his neck, jaw, cheek, and ear. He followed suit. They kept their eyes and ears on the movie, save for the occasional glance and smile at one another, but their fingers had minds of their own. With Darcy sans pants, Steve's fingers found their way to her legs. She'd curled them into his lap shortly after sitting, and his fingers started trailing swirls and shapes over her calves and knees.

When the movie ended, Darcy's lips rolled against Steve's neck, near his shoulder, and he groaned and shuddered, hands gripping her legs for a long moment. She looked up a little wide eyed. Steve leaned his forehead to hers, and her expression softened. "Sorry, I didn't mean to cross a line."

Steve needed a breath, but his lips turned up distinctly. They had traded a few kisses that day, avoiding lips. Steve was feeling relaxed, being at home, and not out where others might see, and he didn't have half a guard up to keep himself from fully reacting to how it felt before. "You didn't. I just didn't expect it, or how it would make me feel. But I like it, and how it felt." One hand brushed at the hair near her temple, dragging his fingers through her hair, and then along her jaw.

Darcy quivered, her hand sliding up his chest and neck, and around to the back of his head and into his hair. Even with the evening being comfortably warm, she was basking in how warm his body was. "Okay. I like how all this feels too."

Steve's arms shifted to try to somehow more completely envelop her in his embrace. Her response was to try to do the same to him. Nuzzling and nipping at her neck and shoulder, gently tugging the collar of the shirt she wore to the side so he could feel her skin.

Maybe it was strange they hadn't actually allowed themselves to kiss each other on the lips, especially as Darcy stifled a moan by pulling her lips together over the skin just below Steve's ear, but she felt like she'd already pushed this thing enough, she had to let him decide that was what he wanted to do. She definitely had not intended things to be where they were now, when she'd climbed on the back of his motorcycle that morning.

Steve hadn't even imagined this. Well, he had imagined it, but only in the most daydream type of way. He had no thought he would really have Darcy in his lap, on his couch, at the end of the day, but he wasn't about to complain. It was a dream come true. Maybe she was dancing around the same things he was, and even if not, or even if it didn't mean something serious or committed to her, he did think it meant she genuinely cared for him, and that was really all he felt like he could ask for at this point. He wasn't in a position to ask for more. But he also couldn't say no to whatever she was willing to give.

Slowly, her lips traveled along his jaw. Steve's head lifted as her lips neared his chin. While her lips pulled away from his chin, Darcy opened her eyes to find his already watching her. The stare lingered a minute, before he shifted slightly closer, his nose brushing hers. She felt the longing ache in his eyes, there was no way to keep her own open. His lips were soft, moving with care on hers. Darcy's lips responded immediately, moving with him.

Steve hadn't done a lot of kissing before this, and every other kiss he'd had was initiated by the woman. Even the couple he got when the girl didn't really want to kiss him, but they had done so, he knew, at the behest of Bucky, or whatever girl Bucky was with who was the friend of the girl who had been convinced to give poor, skinny little Steve a polite kiss. This was the first kiss he'd sort of taken the lead on. He only had the nerve to do that because he felt like Darcy had lead him right up to her lips, and then fixed him with a look that, to him had said, 'kiss me, now'. And the way her lips moved with his, at least confirmed he'd made the right move. One arm was wrapped all the way around her back, and his hand held her knee, the other hand had quickly cradled her face. Her arms were still snug around him, and Steve was finding his Captain America level boldness in quick order. His lips pressing and rolling on hers a little firmer. Her lips pliable to his every tempo change, it escalated quickly. His fingers pressed into her head, feeling her suck his bottom lip a moment, he flicked his tongue at her.

Darcy pulled back, to gasp at the action, opening her eyes to catch his, and a grin hit her lips for a split second, before they were on his, again. It was all torrid tongues and longing lips, for, well, Darcy didn't know how long, the hand that wasn't in his hair had found its way inside the back, neck, of his shirt and to his shoulder blade. When she did, she felt his hand slide over her knee and up the outside of her thigh. Her breathing became short and quick, trying to catch a little air each time she parted her lips to draw them over Steve's. Her fingers pressed into his flesh.

"Pacing." Steve whispered after his lips pulled off her bottom lip, only to quickly grasp her bottom lip one more time and slowly pull back, getting her to whimper when his lips didn't immediately return to hers, yet again. He could feel her heart rate up, and knew she wasn't breathing very steady. His were up also, but she sounded just about out of breath, and he didn't want her to pass out or something.

She giggled softly after a few good, long inhale and exhales. "Right." Her hand pulled from the back of his head to brush her fingers down his cheek, before her finger tips played over his lips.

"I don't want you to pass out or hyperventilate or something." His fingers lightly stroked the back of her neck, gaze hanging on hers. His lips nipping at her fingers between words.

"I like that you are looking out for me." The smile Darcy wore was lopsided and lazy, but so very contented, except in her eyes was a little fire.

"Of course. You look out for me, I look out for you." Steve was keeping his language very casual, but the look in his eyes was anything but casual. The way she looked at him didn't feel casual either, but they were pacing. "Not that it's an obligation. I want to look out for you, because I like you. And I feel like you, maybe, feel the same."

Darcy smiled when he started to ramble a little, and giggled when he sighed at the end. "I do. I like you. And I am happy to look out for you, and help you out in any way I can."

Steve leaned into her hand, as her fingers pet his cheek. He could have stayed just like that for ages. She was warm and soft, and relaxed him in a way he couldn't even recall feeling before. "Is there anything else I can do to help you, or make you happier? I feel like you're giving a lot of your time and energy to me right now."

"This whole day has made me happy. We went to fun and interesting places, we talked and laughed, and I got to spend some time with someone I like, and it wasn't while cooped up in a lab. Jane is awesome, but getting her to do anything that isn't science is sometimes too much work to make it fun." Darcy laughed, it was perhaps a slight exaggeration, she could sometimes convince Jane to take a movie break, or to dance around to some music with her. But Jane's world did revolve pretty heavily around work, which meant so did Darcy's.

Steve chuckled softly, his fingers still brushing at the back of her neck and the side of her thigh. "Good, I'm glad I am making you happy, too. I hope that will continue, even if sometimes I can't be here because of a mission or something." Maybe he should have realized that by now, but Steve couldn't quite shake that nagging feeling in his head that he wasn't really worth it.

"Of course you sometimes will have work, I probably will too. But whenever you're free, and I'm free, I would really like doing a lot more of this, with you." Darcy felt his arms shift, trying to pull her closer. The hand he had on her neck reached to her shoulder blade and pressed her closer, while the one on her thigh slid around the underside and up a little higher, as his face buried in her shoulder. Her fingers squeezed his shoulder blade, while the other hand rubbed his head. She also pressed a kiss to his head.

There were a few quiet minutes, while Steve just held on tight. He didn't move, but he did finally speak. "Sorry. I feel like everyone I've ever cared about has been lost, and I'm starting to find a handful of people I care about again, and don't want to lose them." It was at least a contributing factor to Steve's insecurities. He didn't feel like he had to be on, or strong, or in control with her, which was strange to him. Because there were very few people in his life he'd felt that way around. And the fact that it was strange sometimes looped back around to feeling like he still should be strong and able to handle things himself. He also couldn't lay too much on her, they were still just getting to know each other, even if he felt close to her already.

"Well, I don't plan to go anywhere, at least not anywhere you can't still text me or call me." Darcy felt him squeeze her. She was focusing on just holding and comforting him, though she was still aware of his fingers very near to her butt and the crotch of her panties.

Steve was not as aware of just how close his hand was to some very sensitive areas, he was just holding onto her thigh. What he was aware of was how her hand in his hair sent soft tingles through his whole body, exciting and soothing at the same time. It was a slightly crazy feeling, but he liked it, and he felt safe feeling that way with her. "I would like occasionally texting or calling you or hearing from you when we're not in the same place."

"I'd like that too." She wasn't even thinking about what her fingers were doing in his hair, it just felt nice. His hair was soft, and his head was warm, and she felt relaxed just holding onto him.

They lingered on his couch a while longer, holding each other, kissing a little more after a while, before heading to bed. Any earlier thoughts Steve might have had about polite, gentlemanly ways to share a bed were long lost. As soon as he slipped under the sheet, he was reaching for her. He laid on his back, and Darcy curled into his side without hesitation, one of her legs tangling between his, as his arms encircled her. His hands rubbed softly at her back, while her fingers trailed around his chest, and her nose brushed his neck. The only sounds were their collective breathing and the hum of The City outside.

"I feel like I will be able to sleep sound tonight." Steve's voice broke into the quiet of the room, the movement of her fingers had told him she was still awake though.

"I think I'm going to sleep well, too." Darcy had a nice enough bed, and her apartment was nicer than the trailer in New Mexico, or even her college apartment. Maybe it was that she wasn't actually used to being alone. She'd had Jane around constantly for a while. Before that, she had a string of roommates in apartments and dorms in college. Even when she had her own bedroom, there was shared common space the rest of the time. Growing up, her mother was a constant, even if she worked a lot, and with as many sisters as she had, even if they didn't always live there, there was always a chance one was going to breeze through for a while. Her apartment in the Bronx certainly wasn't sound proof, she could hear some sounds from the neighbor on her floor, and the one below her, but it wasn't the same.

"I sometimes have trouble sleeping. Since I came out of the ice, I have dreams about the war, or other odd things that can make me restless." Steve had shifted slightly to look at her when he spoke. He wasn't so sure about sharing that, but he felt like he needed to, in case he woke from a dream and startled her. Any worry or potential regret at speaking evaporated the instant that warmth flowed from her eyes and rushed straight through his body like it was carried through his blood stream.

"Okay, I hope you'll be able to sleep sound, but I won't panic if you wake up. If you need me to do anything to help you if that happens, just tell me." Her hand stilled over his heart and her lips pressed long and firm to his jaw.

"I've been alone whenever it happens. Cause I don't really have anyone else to sleep anywhere near me." He shook his head a little, feeling like his words were a mangled mess. "I just didn't want to worry you, or scare you, if it happened."

Her fingers pressed softly over his chest, over his heart. "Thank you for letting me know. And if there is anyway I can help, tell me, if I somehow don't wake up, if you wake from a bad dream, you can wake me if you want hugs or something, or just want to talk to me. Or just settled back in and cuddle me until you get back to sleep."

"Thank you." Steve gave her a squeeze and kissed her head.

They snuggled close, quiet, again. Unsure who fell asleep first, but they slept sound, wrapped around each other.


End file.
